The document discusses key aspects of running an effective school library program including personnel, leadership, standards, budgeting, facilities, collaboration, research methods, and grant writing. It emphasizes the importance of the librarian collaborating with administrators and teachers to plan the library program around student needs. National and state standards provide guidelines for exemplary practices, and the librarian must work to implement these standards even with limited budgets. Research and grant writing are important skills for librarians to stay informed and obtain additional funding.
2. Experimental research: In some ways experimental research is the most rigorous of all research methods and is arguably the best method for testing cause and effect relationships.” (p.165) Causality in research is very simple to define and yet maddeningly difficult to prove.
3. Historical research: There is debate about whether historical research uses rigorous enough research methods to be considered scientific research. “However, true historical research tends to resemble a scientific method of inquiry or a problem –oriented approach.” (p.217)
4. Content analysis: Content analysis was developed by Alfred Lindesmith. Content analysis relies heavily on text and identifying the KWIC “key word in context. One area where it has been used increasingly is in media communications and specifically with political communications.
5. Journalistic Investigations: Often times in journalistic investigations, the researcher must have a knowledgeable person “on the inside” who understands the inner workings of the reported upon subjects. At other times the researcher into subjects themselves to precarious situations to better understand how things really work. I learned a great deal about different research methods from Dr. Hoffman in LS 536. The five research methods we studied are relevant to a school librarian, so that they will be able to stay current with developing research. I plan to read as much new research as possible as I begin my position as a school librarian. Research can either support long held beliefs or sometimes expose these beliefs as a myth. The school librarian must be willing to accept new ideas and then put them into practice.<br /> References<br />Gerding, Stephanie K., and Pamela H. MacKellar. Grants for Libraries: a How-to-do-it Manual. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2006. Print<br />Woolls, B. (2008) The school library media manager. 4th ed. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited<br />Empowering Learners: Guidelines for school library media programs. (2009). Chicago: ALA<br />Texas State Library. (2005) School Library Programs: Standards and Guidelines for Texas. <br />Retrieved December 16, 2010 from Texas State Library website: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/schoollibs/sls/introductionh.html<br />